Inside the Nursing Program That Feels Like Family – and Builds Strong, Confident Nurses

“For me, nursing brings the science and the love together – the science behind helping people and the empathy of caring for someone you don’t even know.”

That belief guided Brenaijah Gittens into nursing. But before she came to Bloomfield College, Gittens was struggling to feel seen and supported in a traditional college program.

“I felt invisible,” says Gittens. “I couldn’t get the support I needed. I’d try to go to tutoring and there would be about 30 other people there. How is the teacher going to help you?”

Everything changed when she transferred to Bloomfield College’s nursing program.

“I feel seen by my teacher. She knows my name. She knows me. She knows when I need help,” says Gittens. “They check in with you and they make it so comfortable.”

Ask any student on Bloomfield’s historic campus and they’ll tell you: Bloomfield feels like a second family. Students are warm and welcoming and faculty actually take the time to get to know you.

And nowhere is that sense of community more visible than inside the Nursing Peer Mentor Program.

Practicing Together, Learning Together, Growing Together

All first-year nursing students in Bloomfield’s 3-year BSN program meet with an experienced junior or senior mentor for two hours each week – guided by a faculty advisor – to reinforce essential skills and build confidence.

But many students find the mentorship so helpful that they go beyond the two hour requirement, even stopping by on weekends.

“I’ll spend four or five hours here on Saturdays just practicing with everyone,” says sophomore Yomerlin Jimenez Guzman. “We give each other support and tips.”

For other students, the mentorship offers more than skill-building. It provides steady reassurance during an often overwhelming journey.

Melissa Blake understands that better than most. An older student in the program, she brings years of real-world healthcare experience to the table: first as a CNA, then as an EMT.

“But I’m getting too old to be jumping on and off an ambulance,” she laughs. “It’s time to come inside.”

This is Blake’s second attempt at nursing school. Her first was years ago, when her children were young and she didn’t have the support system she needed. Now, she’s wiser and more grounded – but that doesn’t mean the nerves are gone.

“I can be a bag of nerves,” Blake admits. “I get into my head and my mentor’s like, you’re doing great. Sometimes you need that reassurance that you’re doing it the right way. Or that gentle correction like, ‘I noticed that you did this wrong, let me correct you so that when you actually have to really do it, you know exactly what you’re doing.’”

For many students, that emotional support is just as valuable as the hands-on practice.

“It’s hard to explain nursing school to someone who’s not in it,” says Gittens. “Our mentors, they get it. They’re in it with us. I can come to my mentor and just vent and they’ll understand.”

Giving Back & Looking Forward

The Nursing Peer Mentor Program doesn’t just support first-year students – mentors grow from it, too. Teaching reinforces their own skills, and guiding someone through a tough moment helps build confidence. For senior Shonte Henry, it’s also a chance to give back.

“When I first started nursing school, I was nervous and timid,” says Henry, who graduates this spring. “I want other students to feel confident and not scared.”

Bloomfield recently received a $10,000 Edward W. and Stella C. Van Houten grant to support the program from January through May 2026. The funding will provide stipends for peer mentors and the faculty advisor who oversees them, helping sustain the program for future nursing cohorts.

For both mentors and mentees, the program is a reminder that no one has to move through nursing school alone – and that sharing what you know can be just as transformative as learning it.

Ready to Start Your Bloomfield Journey?

Learn more about the 3-year BSN at Bloomfield College of Montclair State University, plan a visit to our campus, or take the first step towards applying to be a Bloomfield Bear.